“A gap year?” my grandfather repeats, frowning.
But this isn’t a cop-out. Before enrolling as a college freshman in 2017, I am taking a 10-month “gap-year” sabbatical to work part-time in some fascinating fields, and travel abroad to experience more of the world’s vibrant sociocultural kaleidoscope.
In my case, aging is the sabbatical’s side benefit — I will enter Stanford at 17 rather than 16 — but a gap year can be advantageous to many incoming college freshmen. Relieved of the pressure to study and make the most of school, students can explore interests with no strings attached, fostering creativity and independence. The free reins of a gap year tone up the muscle of self-discipline, a crucial quality for success later in life. In addition, a gap year not only staves off academic burnout but arms students with the renewed energy to achieve greater scholastic success in college.
A gap year also doesn’t have to carry a hefty price tag. Following Malia Obama’s gap-year announcement earlier this year, critics pounced on the sabbatical’s elitist nature, underscoring that gap-year students can spend north of $30,000 in total on an academic or volunteer-based year abroad. Such bills are indeed exorbitant, but the gap year isn’t exclusive to blue bloods. Like many other sabbatical students, I won’t attend any of the gap-year industry’s costly programs. Instead, I will work part-time during six of the next 10 months.
THE PROFESSIONAL PUZZLE I see the upcoming year as an opportunity for career exploration. In high school, I loved participating in extracurricular activities that mostly involved writing, but there weren’t enough hours in the day for me to explore other interests outside the classroom. Starting this fall, I’m excited and grateful to be working part-time at a hospital, media conglomerate and state Office of the Attorney General. I consider these experiences important not so much for the entry-level work but rather for the opportunity to observe firsthand the nuts and bolts of particular professions. This tasting menu of jobs is a long-term investment; studies show gap-year students are more likely to be satisfied with their careers after college.
In the same vein, I’m conducting informational interviews to glean the perspectives and experiences of networking contacts in a diverse array of fields. As of now, I don’t have a specific career aspiration yet, but my gap year can be the ideal window of opportunity to get a sense of what I might be interested in. In 10 months, I hope to have a clearer professional goal so I can maximize my college experience and graduate as well equipped as possible for the years ahead.
THE INTERNATIONAL INCENTIVE Without the logistical constraints of a school calendar, the gap year also offers extraordinary opportunities to travel at cheaper off-season prices. Although we have a limited budget, my family has been able to plan affordable trips abroad for next year using Travelzoo and Gate 1 Travel. I’ve previously lived in China and the United Kingdom, and I hope experiencing even more of the world can further expand my perspective as a global citizen.
NURTURING THE INNER SELF On a personal level, I want to brake and break from the educational treadmill I’ve sprinted so hard on. After a high-strung college application experience, I’m pausing to take a breath, relish the scenery and optimize my collegiate life by starting with a refreshed mentality. So I’ll knit. Read. Sing karaoke with my sister. Code. Take weekend cooking classes at my local community college. Teach my little brother chess. Paint. Spend more time with my friends and family. Write what I want, when I want, where I want.
With the newfound gift of time, I’m also able to lead a more physically and spiritually healthy lifestyle. My morning routine of yoga and meditation has replaced the snooze button, a school year staple. On the days I take the train to work, I listen to my favorite excerpts from Shawn Achor’s “The Happiness Advantage.” Instead of studying late into the night, I sleep eights hours a day, jog around town and hike local trails. Most importantly, I constantly discover joy in rereading Christian Wiman’s “My Bright Abyss: Meditation of a Modern Believer” — a symphonic, soul-stirring tour de force that reminds me to cherish every dimension of the coming year.
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After I finish explaining my gap year to my grandfather, a 79-year-old Chinese native who is learning English, I summarize, “It’s called time off school.”
“Really?” he asks. “Why isn’t it called time on life?”